Darien Lake settles wrongful death lawsuit

http://www.amusementtoday.com/darien-la ... h-lawsuit/

Is that the coaster(Intamin)where a legless veteran flew out?

Originally posted by fusionxx

Is that the coaster(Intamin)where a legless veteran flew out?

Yes, the guy put the employees in a really awkward and tough situation in my opinion which is wrong. If they told him he couldn't ride he would have probably made a scene and it would have been very awkward for the employees. He should have known that a laptop bar depends entirely on the fact that your legs can't come out because the seat back is in the way. Without having legs nothing is truely holding you in. His legs were missing far past the knee closer to his pelvis. Not to mention without his legs he probably didn't meet the height requirement anyway. You know it would be extremely uncomfortable to tell a legless guy he can't ride.



I personally think this was a suicide. He must have known the bar wouldn't hold him in when he boarded.

Originally posted by blackhand1001

Originally posted by fusionxx

Is that the coaster(Intamin)where a legless veteran flew out?

Yes, the guy put the employees in a really awkward and tough situation in my opinion which is wrong. If they told him he couldn't ride he would have probably made a scene and it would have been very awkward for the employees. He should have known that a laptop bar depends entirely on the fact that your legs can't come out because the seat back is in the way.

blackhand1001, I respect your opinion and all but if he was not allowed to ride this roller coaster and the operators failed to stop him from boarding then it is solely the parks fault. Weather or not there would have been an "awkward situation" should not be an issue that is trumped by safety and established procedure.

Originally posted by Tetsu

Originally posted by blackhand1001

Originally posted by fusionxx

Is that the coaster(Intamin)where a legless veteran flew out?

Yes, the guy put the employees in a really awkward and tough situation in my opinion which is wrong. If they told him he couldn't ride he would have probably made a scene and it would have been very awkward for the employees. He should have known that a laptop bar depends entirely on the fact that your legs can't come out because the seat back is in the way.

blackhand1001, I respect your opinion and all but if he was not allowed to ride this roller coaster and the operators failed to stop him from boarding then it is solely the parks fault. Weather or not there would have been an "awkward situation" should not be an issue that is trumped by safety and established procedure.

They were screwed either way. If they hadn't let him on there would have been stories about how they refused to let an Iraq veteran ride the coaster. And I stick by my theory that this was an assisted suicide. Its not abnormal to suffer from severe depression in the situation he was in especially given the amount of media coverage he already was getting. He figured that if he committed suicide this way his children would get enough money to be raised without him.

[Coasterkidmwm]

Or he didn't take physics like a majority of people.

Originally posted by Coasterkidmwm

Or he didn't take physics like a majority of people.

You didn't need to know physics. The guy literally had no legs. I don't mean past the knee, I mean he had no thigh at all on one side and maybe 25% of his thigh on the other one. Theres no way he didn't know the bar wasn't holding him in. If he had up to his knees he probably would still be here as thats the part of your body that keep you in on a lap bar.

Lol I always have nightmares about being thrown from 100+ foot heights during roller coaster malfunctions. Poor champ. That would be a pretty intimidating final 8 seconds.

But yeah all things considered, Hackemer must have been severely and disgustingly retarded. Pardon my diction, but holy honest to gosh. You're a surviving Sergeant of an Iraqi bombing and you can't establish a vision for safety vs. adrenaline? Poor man.

My feelings go out to Six Flags however, for a bit of negative publicity that they could have done without...

^exactly, this was clearly a suicide, and he picked this way so his family would get a generous compensation.

I was actually going to mention suicide in my post! Dang! Yeah, we're on the same page then [approve]

lol I didn't realize that his legs (or lack thereof) were like that. You're right - it's literally a 1/4th of a thigh on the right side and absolutely nothing on the other side. WTF

I call shenanigans.

LOL.
I also did not fully realize the severity of his leg loss........... something really sketchy is going on with this situation.

Originally posted by Tetsu

if he was not allowed to ride this roller coaster and the operators failed to stop him from boarding then it is solely the parks fault.

Not correct. Not solely. If ride operators were solely responsible for verifying the condition of riders and making sure that each and every rider complied with all of the criteria for safely riding a roller coaster, then there would not be any signage or written warnings about the dangers/cautions/recommendations for riding an amusement park attraction outside and before the entrances of said rides.

Every rider is given the opportunity to determine whether or not it is appropriate and safe for them to get on the ride.

Originally posted by GerstlCrazy

LOL.
I also did not fully realize the severity of his leg loss........... something really sketchy is going on with this situation.

Originally posted by Tetsu

if he was not allowed to ride this roller coaster and the operators failed to stop him from boarding then it is solely the parks fault.

Not correct. Not solely. If ride operators were solely responsible for verifying the condition of riders and making sure that each and every rider complied with all of the criteria for safely riding a roller coaster, then there would not be any signage or written warnings about the dangers/cautions/recommendations for riding an amusement park attraction outside and before the entrances of said rides.

Every rider is given the opportunity to determine whether or not it is appropriate and safe for them to get on the ride.

I am thinking that this guy purposely tried to slip pass the employees noticing his condition. He obviously was trying to deceive them and had every intention of getting ejected (off the hill not from boarding) from the ride. I don't think the park should be held responsible for someone who purposely was trying to kill themself. I don't think anything six flags could have done would have stopped this guy from killing himself. If he didn't succeed at the park he would have tried something else. So quite frankly blaming six flags for someone who was purposely killing himself is unfair.

[coolbeans326]

I think he was simply an idiot and the ride operators were negligent and didn't have the balls to stand up (no pun intended) and do the right, albeit difficult thing and not permit this gentleman to ride.

I hope that some one appropriately invests that settlement for those children.

[Mikey]

It is the parks responsibility to hire and train it's ride operators to a standard in which they are able to safely operate the ride under all serviceable conditions. This includes not only teaching them what buttons to push and when, but also making sure they are capable of understanding the basic aspects of it's mechanical and electrical operation including it's service functions and limitations. Especially the limitations of life safety devices such as safety restraints.

The ride operators principle jobs are to protect the guest from themselves, to keep the ride running safely and efficiently, and when in doubt about any thing, stop and get the answer you need. This includes the strict enforcement of all safety rules.

For the park this means don't hire idiots and try to spend more then three four hour days three weekends apart cramming 3,000 pages worth of Company Policy, Park Information, SOP, OSHA Policy, best practices etc into a bunch of teenagers heads. For most of them this is there first job and what you are expecting is unreasonable and patently negligent.

After they are done with training you also cannot place operators in a position where they fear telling a guest no because you may place a guest complaint against them with disciplinary action. It is the supervisors job to ensure that they are supporting the operators and taking initiative and responding to guest complaints when a boarding denial happens for safety.

There is a very simple phrase that I teach ride operators, it is truly a get out of jail free card for just about any event involving a guest at your ride. It's "For your safety." I have had guest hold rides hostage and have to be forcibly removed from the because they were denied boarding. I have had ride operators get in arguments with guest over it too.

From the training manual: "If you tell a guest to go **** themselves you better have started that sentence with for your safety."

^ the problem is this wasn't an accident. The guy had every intention for this to be outcome.

[Coasterkidmwm]

Originally posted by blackhand1001

^ the problem is this wasn't an accident. The guy had every intention for this to be outcome.

And you know this how?

[mkingy]

Originally posted by blackhand1001

^ the problem is this wasn't an accident. The guy had every intention for this to be outcome.

Sorry but no. If the operator knew he was risking this guys safety and still said 'go ahead' in my opinion that's worse. Upsetting someone is clearly the easier option over almost certainly killing them.

All this arguing about the lap bar...

The only thing I know for sure is the last time I rode (YEARS ago), there was also a seat belt that needed to be buckled and tightened. My thoughts are that the ride operators thought the seat belt plus the lap bar would have been enough to hold this man in for the ride.

I am not buying that either. Both the seatbelts and the lapbar are restraints that restrain you by your lap. This guy didn't have a lap.

Even if he was trying to commit suicide the ride ops are still at fault. Its similar to "caution: contents hot" on coffee cups.

[gouldy]

Whether the guy was getting on the ride with the intention of falling off it or not; no ride op in their right mind should allow someone who doesn't have legs onto a coaster... the ride ops are still at fault.

Definitely does not meet height requirements.